Offense Boosts Blyleven : Angels: They collect a season-high 15 hits in winning their sixth consecutive victory, a 10-3 pounding of the Brewers.

Because the Oakland Athletics are matching them victory for victory, the Angels’ ascent from the depths of the American League West seems like a climb up a down escalator: No matter how earnest their effort, they seem simply to be running in place.

Not that their effort is being wasted. The Angels are running in fourth place after their 10-3 rout of the Milwaukee Brewers Saturday night at Anaheim Stadium, and that was progress enough to encourage them in their climb, even though they haven’t gained so much as a half-game on Oakland during their six-game winning streak.

“It was just a matter of time before we got it going,” outfielder Dante Bichette said after the Angels’ eighth victory in their nine games moved them a game ahead of the Seattle Mariners and into fourth for the first time since May 3. “If you noticed, we really didn’t get down on ourselves when things were bad. . . . The talent, like I said before, is there, and now it’s showing, and we’ll be in this thing before too long.

“Oakland is a great team and we’re going to have to play our best to come back and win this. But I know we can do it. Before, we only talked about playing well, and talk is cheap. Now we’re doing it.”

The Angels had a season-high 15 hits and benefited from the determined pitching of Bert Blyleven (3-3), who got his first complete game of the season and only the second for the Angel pitching staff. Blyleven struck out four and walked one as the Angels won their fifth consecutive game in Anaheim and improved to 21-23.

More than his fastball or his curve or his oofus-goophus pitch, Blyleven credited his will with propelling him through his first complete game since last Sept. 28.

“My stubbornness was working for me best,” said the 39-year-old right-hander, who gave up a run in the first on a walk, a single and a force play but was presented with three runs in the bottom of the inning. “I was just trying to get into a good groove. My offense really picked me up. When we scored that many runs early, I said, ‘I want to go nine.’ I hadn’t gone nine and I wanted to get into a good groove. That’s what nine innings gives you.”

Every starter except Gary DiSarcina managed at least one hit off Mark Knudson (3-2), Tom Edens and Bill Krueger.

Max Venable, Johnny Ray and Chili Davis each contributed three hits, with Davis driving in two runs and Wally Joyner driving in two as the Angels matched their largest margin of victory this season.

Three consecutive singles produced the first run, in the first, and Davis put the Angels ahead to stay with a two-run double to center. Venable’s second home run of the season stretched the lead to 4-1 in the second, and an RBI-single by Rick Schu and a ground-rule double by John Orton padded that to 6-1 in the third. The Brewers, who still lead the AL East despite a four-game losing streak, added to their league-leading error total by committing two in the fourth, setting up two more Angel runs.

When Milwaukee scored twice in the sixth, the Angels need not have worried. But Blyleven took it as an insult, and was even more determined to go the distance. Chuck Finley’s 6-0 victory over Baltimore May 8 is the staff’s only other complete game.

“When they scored those two runs in the sixth, I got really upset,” Blyleven said. “After my team came back and scored two more for me, I’m the kind of guy who likes to finish what I start and I hadn’t been doing that. Hopefully, I’ll get in a good groove now.”

The Angels hope their slow start won’t preclude a fast finish. But where they are in relation to the A’s is less important to them than how they’re playing.

“We can’t worry about what Oakland does. They’re a good ballclub,” said Venable, who is hitting .310 in an occasional role. “We can’t be looking up to see what Oakland does. We’ve got to take care of ourselves. The past week, we’ve really come together. It’s not just one guy--it’s been the whole team. We can’t be worried about somebody else trying to help you--you’ve got to help yourself.”

Angel Notes

Pitcher Kirk McCaskill took his infant son, Riley Nicholas, home from the hospital Saturday, a week after the baby contracted pneumonia and required intensive care. “He got a clean bill of health,” said McCaskill, who missed a start last week in Toronto to rejoin his family in California. “It was scary for a while, but he’s going to be fine.”

With Saturday’s start, the 654th of his career, Bert Blyleven moved into 11th place on the all-time list. . . . Donnie Hill (bruised left knee) sat out his third consecutive game, his longest inactivity since the first week of the season. . . . Brian Downing was not in the starting lineup for the seventh game in a row. His last start was May 19 at Toronto. . . . The Angels are 6-1 in games Dave Winfield has started. He was not in Saturday’s lineup.

Infielder Mark McLemore, sent to triple-A Edmonton on rehabilitation assignment, played nine innings for the Trappers Friday and was 0 for 4. He also made a fielding error at second base. . . . Class-A Palm Springs ended a 13-game losing streak Friday with a 7-2 victory over Seattle’s San Bernardino affiliate.